At least 2 police personnel injured in the landmine blast triggered by the suspected CPI(Maoist)at Khairanala forest area on Thursday afternoon, 50 km from the city under the Madhuwan police station in Giridih .
The Jharkhand Police along with Cobra battalion and the 124th CRPF battalion confronted the CPI (Maoists) cadres again on Wednesday night at Degapahari forest area under Madhuwan police station of Giridih district. As per reports the forces had a close shave before the encounter as two landmines were also blasted in the hills near Khiranala forest area.
Police sources said that Madhuwan, Dumari, Pirtard, Khukhari, Nimiaghat police and a CRPF team were carrying out operations to trace the CPI (Maoists) at Khairanala area of Parasnath on Wednesday night.
The search operation in connection with the Wednesday morning fierce encounter between the Maoists and the Madhuwan police was still on at the Degapahari forest areas near Parasnath under the Madhuwan police station of the Giridih district.
Heavy shelling has been reported from both sides in the encounter between police and Naxals. The cops claimed to have fired more than 100 rounds.
Giridih SP Akhlesh V Varier said a police teams were sent to the Dega forest area following a tip-off that some hardcore activists of the CPI (Maoist) had assembled there. On seeing the police, the Maoists started firing. The police retaliated in self-defence, he said.
In the encounter, which lasted for more than 36 hours, quite a few Naxalites might have been injured, the police officials said.
Acting on a tip-off about increased movement of Maoist cadre in the Parashnath region following the police crackdown, the State Intelligence has issued a “blanket alert” in the district affected by the menace, sources said.
According to police sources, the Special Branch’s alert regaining Maoist’s plan to attack police stations and pickets has further set the constabulary in an overdrive. Giridih Superintendent of Police Akhlesh V Varier said the police have sealed all the entry and exit points and search operation is continued. The ultras escaped towards the dense hilly and forested areas. The jawans followed them and later launched a combing operation, but in vain, police chief said.